Knitting machine



Dec. 29, 1942. Y K. HOWlE KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 12, 1942 Patented Dec. 29, 1942 KNITTING MACHINE Kenneth Howie, Norrlstown, Pa., assignor to Wlldman Mfg. Co., Norrlstown,-Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 12,1942, Serial No. 426,518

' at which that operation is to occur.

Claims.

This invention relates to knitting machines, and more particularly to improvements in the pattern chain employed in knitting machines.

The pattern chain in knitting machines is employed to determine the times at which certain automatic operations of the machine are to occur. For example, in knitting a lady's full fashioned hose, the pattern chain determines the t-ime at which leg narrowing is to occur, or the time at which a reinforcing yarn is to be introduced into the fabric.

In order to cause these different knitting operations to occur, separate buttons are attached to the pattern chain. The position of the button transverse of the chain determines which operation is to occur and its position lengthwise along the chain determines the time Thus the different times at which narrowing is to be performed is determined by buttons arranged in a line lengthwise of the pattern chain, so that they will contact a lever disposed in their path of movement as the chain advances. Another series of buttons arranged in a different line lengthwise of the chain will be disposed to contact a different lever in order to determine when a certain reinforcement yarn is to be introduced into the fabric. Other automatic operations will be set into action by other lines of buttons along the pattern chain.

Heretofore difliculty has been had in locating the buttons in their proper position transversely of the chain, so that they will contact only the intended lever. Furthermore, difficulties have been encountered because a sidewise slippage of the button from its intended position will cause it to contact a wrong lever and cause an unintentional operation of a part of the knitting machine instead of the intended operation. In order to locate the buttons in prior pattern chains, it has been necessary to have at hand several gauges which the operator would employ to determine the exact transverse position of 'the button which he was applying.

With the pattern chain of the present invention, the attendant is enabled, without the employment of any gauges, to quickly and accurately position a button upon the pattern chain. Furthermore, after the button has been affixed to the pattern chain, it will retain this position even though the screw by which the button is attached may become loosened. With the present invention, therefore, considerable time is saved in applying a button to a pattern chain, and also false operations of the machine are prevented.

In the accompanying drawing showing a preferred embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a pattern chain showing several buttons aflixed thereto.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cap of the button.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

It is common to use buttons for the pattern chains of knitting machines .which are made up of a cam portion 5 and a cap portion 6. The cam portion 5 provides a curved face 1 which will bear upon a lever of the knitting machine to lift it and cause a certain automatic operation in the knitting machine. The cap portion 6 has a hole 8 centrally therethrough through which a clamping screw 9 may be passed for threaded engagement into the cam portion 5 of the button. 4

In the meeting faces of the two portions of the button are formed transverse grooves which will receive two adjacent cross links ll] of the pattern chain. The cross links H) are generally round in cross section. In the cam portion of the button, this includes the transverse grooves l2 and I3 which are spaced apart a distance equal to the pitch of the pattern chain. In the cap part 6 are formed the transverse grooves l4 and I5.

The groove I4 is larger in radius than the radius of the'cross linklfl, so that it will not clamp the cross link and will permit the cross link to freely rotate therein. The grooves l3 and 15, however, are of substantially the same size as the cross links H] of the pattern chain. so that the cross link will be firmly gripped. The provision of a groove M of such large size that the cross link therein will be gripped is of importance to permit free flexing of the pattern chain in its passage over the sprockets of the knitting machine.

In accordance with the invention, the cross links H] of the pattern chain are formed with notches l6, and the bottoms of grooves I5 of the caps 6 are formed with projections I! which lie in the notches l6 of the cross links. As shown in Fig. 1; the notches I6 are uniformly spaced apart upon the several cross links H). Because of this arrangement of the notches 16, corresponding notches in the several cross links are in line with respect to each other lengthwise of the chain,

and each line of notches corresponds to a particular one o! the levers to be actuated by the pattern chain.

The projection ll of the cap part 6 of the button extends transversely across the bottom of the groove l5, as is best shown in Fig. 3. The pro jection conforms substantially to thesize or the notch l6, so that sidewise movement of the button along the pattern chain link will be prevented, as appears from Fig. 4. Although the hatches i6 and projections H are shown to be of V-shape, this is not essential to the practice of the invention, since they may be of any other shape in cross section.

In order to form the notches I6 in the pattern chain, the chain may be passed beneath milling cutters spaced apart a distance corresponding to the desired spacing between the notches so that as every link passes beneath these milling cutters, it will havecut therein the notches is. In this way, the pattern chain of the invention may be quickly obtained and the notches will be uniformly spaced upon every link so that they are in parallel lines lengthwise of the chain.

Inasmuch as each line of notches lengthwise of the pattern chain corresponds to a single one of the levers which are under control of the pattern chain, it is merely necessary for the operator to know which notch corresponds to the particular lever which is to be actuated by the button which he is to apply. It is not necessary for him to utilize a gauge or other measuring tool to accurately position the button, since it is merely necessary for him to locate the projection ll of the button he is applying in the notch i6 corresponding to the lever which is to be actuated, and to then tighten the screw 9. By merely making sure that the projection 11 lies in the proper notch I6, it is known that the button is accurately positioned.

After the button has once been applied in this manner, it is prevented from sidewise movement along the links of the pattern chain even though the screw 0 may become loosened, inasmuch as the projection II will still lie within its notch II and prevent sidewise movement of the button. This is of importance because the button cannot move over into a displaced position where it will contact a lever which it is not intended to act upon.

I claim:

1. The combination of a knitting machine pattern chain including a plurality of interconnected cross links, and a button secured to said chain, said button including a cam portion and a cap portion having groove in their meeting faces to receive a cross link, said cross link having a notch therein and said button having a projection entering said notch to prevent sidewise displacement of the button.

2. The combination according to claim 1 in which said projection'lies in the groove oi. said cap portion.

3. A button for a pattern chain of a knitting machine, having a cam portion and a cap portion, the meeting faces of said portions having a groove therein to receive a cross link of a pattern chain, and a projection from the button extending into said groove.

4. A cap portion for a pattern chain button having a groove in a face thereof and a projection extending up from the bottom of the groove.

5. A cap portion for a pattern chain button having two parallel grooves lying across a face thereof, one of said grooves being of smaller radius than the other, and a projection extending upwardly from the bottom of the groove of smaller radius.

KENNETH HOWIE. 

